Pop.com film site flickers out

Was Spielberg really anything to do with it?

Another dotcom has crashed. But, interestingly, it never actually started. So why do we care about Pop.com? Because it was loosely connected with celebrities of course. Apparently it was backed by Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, although no evidence for this exists. It was going to be a film site, and spent $7 million of the $50 million given to it by Paul Allen before it gave up the ghost, without actually ever going live. Daft world we live in.

Following from the FTSE 100's kick out of tech stocks, the FTSE 250 has followed suit. So out goes QXL, the online auctioneer, and Photo-Me, the photobooth owner that is staking its future on Net technology. Recent tech additions have included online bank Egg, Carphone Warehouse, software company Staffware and Net exchange firm TeleCity.

Italian ISP Tiscali is expected to buy Dutch-based World Online later today. If the deal goes ahead it would make the new coupling the second largest ISP in Europe behind Deutsche Telekom's T- Online. The new ISP could be valued at some £7.5billion.

Failed etailer, boo.com, is set to reappear on screens this autumn after being bought out by US e-outfit, Fashionmall.com. According to reports it will be a fashion advisory site.